West Ham United are reportedly preparing a bid for the Celtic winger, Patrick Roberts with Leicester City also ready to provide competition. The Hammers are headhunting for more attacking options and have chosen the 21-year-old on-loan Manchester City ace to be his ultimate priority this summer.
Roberts has been exceptional in his debut season at Parkhead, scoring 11 and assisting 19 in 47 appearances. However, the last season had not gone completely according to plan for the Englishman with a constant worry of recurring injuries always being there. The youngster has still managed to make a difference with his single goal and 5 assists in 18 all-around games, helping the Hoops to the league double.
After Celtic’s Scottish Cup Final against Motherwell, Roberts is due to return to the Etihad where negotiations are expected to resume over his immediate future. He is priced at £15m by the Citizens, almost a pocket pincher according to recent market standards.
Roberts was lured by Fulham from AFC Wimbledon when he was just 13 and later signed by Manchester City on a long-term deal. He made his Premier League debut in the 4-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur, coming on for Sergio Aguero.
The 21-year-old has appeared mostly in the wing position but can take on more central roles as well. Standing at 5 feet 7 inches tall, Roberts can weave his way through tight spaces to create chances for his teammates in the final third. The Kingston-born player has been capped at the youth levels of the England national team 47 times.
Roberts has developed into a quality wide option who is prepared to take on the challenges of the Premier League. How well will he do for West Ham or any of the other interested parties is yet to be seen.
The Hammers certainly will have no choice but to feature him heavily due to the scarcity of players in the position. Currently West Ham United only have Michael Antonio and Marko Arnautovic in the role with the latter mostly featured as the centre-forward in recent times.
United sold off Andre Ayew to Swansea City earlier in the season and currently have an overstacked strike lineup. Maybe offloading a few more pieces will open up the path for Roberts’ arrival.
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The fans could certainly do with some news of a summer signing. After the season that they witnessed from the stands of their brand new stadium, it will take a lot to appease the crowd.
